Happy Hanukkah, Beverly
by CNJ
Summary: During the Hanukkah season, eleven-year old Beverly unearths a precious family item thought lost and long forgotten.


_A/N_: Hi, happy Hanukkah, all who celebrate this special holiday. I'm still working on _Interfamily Affairs and Games _(a _7__th__ Heaven _story), so I haven't abandoned that one…but shy, lovely, deep Dr. Beverly Crusher's been on my mind all week and this Hanukkah, she's on my mind…I'm imagining how Beverly and her dear Nana and rest of the Howard family celebrated Hanukkah when Beverly was growing up.

Here, Beverly's eleven and exploring things in her grandmother's attic…the usual disclaimers that Felisa, Beverly, and all things _STTNG_ fans recognize are not mine…enjoy this one-chapter story!

**Happy Hanukkah, Beverly**

_By_: CNJ

PG-13

**Beverly:**

I am glad for this chance to be alone for a while on this snow-filled December afternoon. Nana and my sister, Enid, and my two cousins, Robin and Bruse, have gone to pick up Aunt Marie, Aunt Muriel, and Uncle Irving from the port at Copper Edge. Aunt Muriel is coming from Luna while Aunt Marie is landing in from Delos Seven.

Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight. I am glad school is now out for the winter break; we won't resume classes again until January seventh. I love school usually, but it's been hectic for the past month with final exams and all, so I am glad to have this break.

Enid's ecstatic; she can't wait to play Spin the Dreidl with our aunts, uncle, and cousins. I make myself a cup of hot tea and take it upstairs to the attic. I love the things Nana has up here; she's stored so many family heirlooms over the years.

This year's been a bit tough on us…Mum died last May in a diplomatic mission and I still miss her. I know Enid and Nana do also, although now Enid masks it under a bold, almost fiery bravado of wisecracks. So this, my eleventh year and Enid's seventh, will be the first holiday without Mum. I really hope my heart doesn't break over this Hanukkah.

Mum and I didn't always get along, but we still loved each other. Mum didn't always understand why I am different from most others….but she tried to make do with my oddness. I don't understand why there are so many strange things about me.

Enid's a lot bolder than I am. I'm still too shy. Eleven years old and I am still so afraid of silly things like the dark, heights, and crowds of people. Meeting several strangers at once still causes me to turn bright red.

I cry over stupid things like sad films and when I'm teased. Sometimes just thinking about sad things like people on other planets going hungry or being in wars bring tears to my eyes. Too many times, I'm blubbering while my _younger_ sister is calm as a latke resting in a puddle of oil in sunlight.

Nana understands me better than anyone; she says I am sensitive. It's not an easy thing to live with, but Nana says it is a special gift. I see it in some ways, but in other ways, I'm still waiting to see how knowing this helps.

Sighing softly, I sit on the floor and leaf through a photo album. I gaze at one picture of us…Mum, Nana, Enid, and I are waving to the lens…it's from last year and it's a moving photo. I'd been ten then. My long, straight red hair blows in the wind; my fringe ruffles a bit…red hair that I am still so self-conscious about.

There are lots of pictures of not only all of us in the immediate family, but of my aunts, uncles, cousins and even some of my great-grandmother, who also had red hair. I very vaguely remember her; she died when I was five.

One picture has her holding me at around three or so. My face is buried in her lap while she's smiling into the camera and stroking me. I think I am crying a little in this picture. The timid three-year-old me shivers and burrows more deeply into Great-Nana's arms.

There are several pages of Enid and me playing in the snow…our snow generally comes by late November and stays until the beginning of April. I know there are some planets where snow is unheard of and other planets that have snow, but not as much or as long.

I understand most of Earth gets only a month or two of snow. I hope I get a chance to visit Earth someday; Aunt Muriel has been there several times. She says Earth is an amazing mix of differing species and cultures.

There are actually a few pictures of Aunt Muriel's trip to Earth…she visited several European countries, including our ancestral land of Scotland. Scotland is quite lovely; I hope I get a chance to visit there one day. I wonder if Unicorns and sorcerers live on Earth like they do here.

One picture that brings a soft smile to my face is of my cousin Jeanette is holding an Earth animal, a dog, I've heard it called. This dog is furry, brown, and a bit pudgy. It has a snub nose and huge brown eyes. The thin longish tail waves back and forth. I've read that most dogs like humans and many humans keep them as pets.

Nana herself has several pet skeets downstairs. They're not furry, however, they're smooth, rather scaly and smaller than dogs. Their faces are long and skinny. They do like humans and most other humanoid species, however. Enid and I often feed and hold them.

Enid and I were sometimes babysat by a couple down the street who are witch and wizard; they have wands and are full-fledged sorcerers with magical ability. One Hanukkah, we saw them light their menorah with just a wand; they didn't need a lighter at all.

After leafing through this album for a long while, I root through a few of the boxes up here. There is something silver at the bottom of one. It turns out to be a silver menorah much to my surprise. It's a bit rusty in spots, but it is so beautiful it takes my breath away and causes me to sit back with a thunk.

Reaching in, I slowly pull it out. Looking it over, I catch sight of the inscription at the base. _May the great miracle of the Howards that happened there in Scotland long ago live in and continue forever_, the inscription says in Yiddish.

It's a wonderful menorah. I strain to see the initials after the inscription, but it is worn and hard to see. Even going over to the window and holding it in the snowy winter light doesn't make it much easier, but I make out an _L_.

Downstairs, footsteps sound and the front door opens. My relatives' voices float upstairs. Closing the box, I stand. Still holding the menorah, I head down to greet my relatives.

"Beverrrrly, darling, how you've grown!" Aunt Muriel exclaims, holding out her arms. I carefully put the menorah down by the stairs and run to my aunt and we hug.

"And not just height-wise, I say," Aunt Marie's round face grins at me from behind Muriel. "Look at you, you're starting to turn into a woman."

Blushing, I look down at myself, but then hug Aunt Marie and let her plant a wet kiss on my cheek. Uncle Irving joins her as he leans down and hugs me also. He's very tall. I only come up to his stomach.

"Our family's first menorah," Nana says softly. "Beverly, darling, you found it?"

"Yes…it was in the big box in the corner," I say.

"My dear Beverly…" Nana's eyes grow damp and she hugs me. "We thought we'd lost it forever…it was a menorah dating back to the first century Scotland back on Earth...possibly from before recorded history."

"Wow…" Enid's green eyes grow wide.

"So, it belonged to some great-great-fifty or so times grandparent or something," Bruse muses as we gather around it.

"Over three hundred years old," Robin runs a finger over it. Our cousins are in their late teens. "Hey, maybe we should light this one tonight instead of the one we were going to us."

"There's an idea," Nana runs a hand through her salt and pepper hair. "And we can use the other one in the living room window…come on, lets get set up…the sun's setting in a half hour or so…"

* * *

The sun sets in a deep purple glow over the snow outside as we light that first candle on this menorah I found in the attic.

"A great miracle happened there long ago," Nana says. "And may many more miracles happen, within the Howard family and around the universe for other families."

Once we each say something we're grateful for, we dig in to the huge feast. I know I will miss Mum for a long time, for many Hanukkahs, but I know what remains our family is still fortunate to have each other…and Enid and I plan to carry on our legacy.

_A/N_: Hope you all enjoyed this one-chapter piece. It's very brief, but hopefully a fun, interesting read and a good glimpse into Beverly's youth since there are so few fics on Beverly's youth…and I know she had a fascinating childhood.


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